Rock picker



F. J; HANLEY ROCK PICKER Sept. 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1955 R.. M Wm m N M Hm E J w 0 m %M F Y B b9 m 2 m8 m9 c ga Sept. 17, 1957 Filed Sept. 19, 1955 Fig.3

F. J. HANLEY ROCK PICKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Francis J, Han/ey INVENTOR.

By m v Sept. 17, 1957 F. J. HANLEY 2,806,541

ROCK PICKER Filed Sept. 19, 1955 5 SheetsSheet 3 United States Patent ROCK PICKER Francis J. Hanley, Cottonwood, Idaho Application September 19, 1955, Serial No. 534,999 1 Claim. (Cl. 171-63) rock is readily picked up and deposited into a pick-up bed for subsequent transport and dumping, including means permitting the escape of loose earth and sand adhering to said rock A further object of invention in conformance with that set forth above is to provide a rock picker of the character set forth which includes an interm-ediately and horizontally pivoted power controlled pick-up bed including a power controlled horizontally pivoted tine assembly, and manually controllable dump gate means.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the novel rock picker illustrating the dump gate in an open position;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational View of the rock picker;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a novel rock picker, partly broken away;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the novel rock picker showing the alternate positions between the rock pick-up and dumping of the picker; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of Figure 4 showing the latch means for the dumping gate.

Indicated generally at 10 is the novel rock picker which includes a support frame indicated generally at'12 and a picker bed assembly 14.

The frame assembly 12 comprises a substantially U-shaped frame or yoke including a forward transverse hitch portion indicated at 16 which may be of any suitable character for connection to a drawing vehicle (not shown) the hitch portion terminating in a pair of rearwardly directed substantially parallel side leg members 18 and 20, said leg members having free end portions through which extend a transverse wheel supporting axle 22 which has on its outer ends 24 and 26 suitably journalled support wheels 28 and 30, respectively.

The pick up bed assembly 14 includes a pick up bed 32 including vertically disposed side panel members 34 and 36 which have a lower forward curved end portion 38, the side panel members 34 and 36 being retained in a substantially rigid fixed position by means of suitable forward transversely extending spaced elongated strip elements 42, see Figure 4, which are secured in any suitable manner and which define open transverse slots there- -between at 44, therear portion of said side panel members being retained in a substantially relatively rigid position by means of a suitably secured transversely extending. support element 46. Extending downwardly from the side portions 34 and 36 of the bed assembly are transversely aligned journal bearing elements 48 which are suitably secured thereon by means of suitable fastening elements 50, the journal bearing elements 48 being located intermediate of the rock pick up bed and being pivotally received on the axle portion 24 whereby the pick up bed 32 is pivotal about a horizontal axis defined by the axle 44 whereby the forward end portion thereof may be pivoted forwardly and downwardly and the rear portion thereof may be pivoted downwardly and rearwardly for the respective rock pick up and dumping positions, see Figure 4.

The pick up bed includes from the transverse members 42 to the transverse member 46 extending between the side panel members 34 and 36 a suitably secured substantial foraminous screen member 52 of any suitable character and secured in any suitable manner which permits loose sand and earth adhering to rocks picked up in the pick up bed to permeate through the openings thereof.

Secured by means of a suitable pivot joint 56 to each of the side frame members 18 and 20 intermediately thereon is the fluid cylinder 58 which includes an extensible piston rod extending therefrom, said piston rod being suitably secured on its distal end by means of a suitable pivotal connection 62 to the respective side panel members 34 and 36 adjacent the upper edge thereof, said fluid cylinders being controlled by means of suitable fluid pressure lines 64 and 66, see Figure 1, controlled by a manual control (not shown) generally located on the vehicle drawing the rock picker. Thus it will be seen by extending the piston 60 out of the fluid cylinder 58 as shown in Figure 4 the rock picker will be in the dumping position illustrated by the dotted lines, or by retracting the piston 60 into the cylinder 58 and the rock picker bed will assume the rock pick up position shown by the solid lines.

In the event some rock has been picked up and retained on the pick up bed prior to the actual dumping operation, it will be noted that the forward curved portion 38 of the pick up bed provides a retaining means for retaining rock which has already been picked up permitting a full load to be contained or carried by the rock picker.

Each of the side panel members 34 and 36 includes a forwardly extending vertically disposed pivot ear element 68 and 70, respectively which includes suitably aligned transversely aligned aperture portions pivotally receiving a pivot rod 72 of a tine assembly indicated generally at 74, said tine assembly including a plurality of transversely disposed tine elements 76 having a rear end portion 78 integrally secured to the pivot rod 72 and transversely extending support elements 80, see Figure 4. The tines including an angularly directed forward rock engaging portion 82 which is substantially level with the support ground when the rock picker is in the optimum rock pick up position, one of the tine members 76 including an upwardly extending pivot lever 84 suitably braced by a rearwardly extending brace element 86, said brace element 84 having its upper end portion pivotally connected at 88 to an extensible piston rod element 90 reciprocably supported in a fluid motor cylinder 92 which is suitably pivoted at 94 to the side panel member 36 of the picker bed. The fluid cylinder 92 includes suitable fluid pressure conduits 96 and 98 which may be secured to a suitable fluid pressure system incorporated on a drawing vehicle (not shown) for example. Obviously, the pivotal movement of the tine assembly 74 about the horizontal pivot rod 72 permits manipulation by an operator of the machine to help to loosen rock being picked up in the rock picker.

A dump gate assembly is indicated generally at 100 and Patented Sept. 17, 1957 r 3 includes a pair of vertically disposed tubular support elements 102 and 104 suitably secured in the rear ends of the side panel members 34 and 36, respectively, each of said elements 102 and 164 having a horizontally disposed transversely aligned journalling pivot portions 106 and 108, respectively,'pivotally supporting a pivot rod 110. The pivot rod 110 has integrally secured in spaced relationshipthereon support portions 112 and-114 which. are

suitably'secured to a gate member 116, it will be noted.

that the elements 112 and 114 in conjunction with the pivot shaft 110 provide the hinge portion for the gate 116 and accordinglyprovide a relatively large open rear end portion on the pick up bed permitting relativelylarge rocks to pass past the gate. I

Extending horizontally in transverse spacedrelationship are rearwardly extending locking plate elements 118 and 119 suitably secured to the lower rear end portion of the pick up bed. The shaft 110 includes intermediate the portions '112 and 114 a pair of radially extending lever elements 120 which have pivotally secured at their outer end 122 a link element 124 which has its lower end pivotally secured at 126 to a reciprocable latch element 128 reciprocably received in a suitable vertically disposed tubular guide element 130 suitably secured on the rear surface portion of the gate 116, said latch element 128 being extendable through a suitable vertically disposed lock aperture in the lock plates 118 and 120. Integrally secured to the shaft 110 in angularly and radially extending relationship to the levers 120 is an actuating lever 132 having its outer end portion 134 connected to a suitable force transmitting linkage element 136 such as a rope, flexible wire-etc, which will have an end portion (not shown) accessible in the near reach of an operator on the vehicle drawing the rock picker. The gate assembly 116 is kept in the latched position shown in the solid lines of Figure 4 when rocks are being picked up and the rock picker is being drawn forward for such purpose whereafter the tine assembly 74 is manipulated in the previously described manner, after a sufficient load of rock is obtained on the rock picker, the picker bed is maintained in a substantially horizontal position as seen in Figure 1 whereafter the rocks are transported to a desired location after principles of the invention.

which they are dumped in the manner illustrated in the dotted lines of Figure 4.

Various positional directional terms such as front, rear, etc., are utilized herein to have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and are not intended to require any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered-as illustrative only of the Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and'equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A mobile rock picker comprising an axle having wheels on the ends thereof, a rock pick-up bed pivotally mounted on said axle for vertical swinging from a downwardly and forwardly inclined rock pick-up position into a downwardly and rearwardly inclined rock dumping'position, said bed having a bottom and sides and a slat front end :curving upwardly and forwardly to prevent rock from falling out of the front end of said bed in the rock pickup position of said bed while permitting dirt to fall out of said front end in the rock pick-up position of the bed, a tine assembly extending forwardly from the upper edge of said front end of the bed and vertically swingable to lift rock thereon in response to swinging of said bed into rock dumping position, means pivotally mounting said tine assembly on said sides for vertical swinging on the'bed to dump rock off the tines into said bed in either the rock pick-up or the rock dumping position of the bed, and hydraulic means operatively connected with said tine assembly to swing the same on the bed and being mounted on said side's-for vertical swinging with said bed.

References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 V V l 

